The HEFCE report, 'Attainment in Higher Education of Erasmus and Placement students', stated that “students who have studied/worked abroad achieve better degrees and earn higher salaries."
In a survey by ThirdYearAbroad.com, 66% of respondents believed the year abroad had been “a significant factor in getting their first and subsequent jobs”.
How can we help?
The University of Kent is committed to helping you utilise the skills you have gained abroad. In today’s competitive global market it is vital to showcase your time abroad and maximise the huge benefits that you have gained. By completing the year abroad you have shown strong attributes you may not even realise you had, such as adaptability, cross cultural communication skills and confidence.
We will help you make the most of these skills and enhance your employability, enabling you to flourish once you have graduated. As a year abroad student, you stand out from other graduates.
Returning from a Year Abroad
As part of Go Abroad Fortnight, we held a Returning from a Year Abroad Employability Workshop. This was an interactive session which involved thinking about the skills students have gained, and how they can showcase these skills in their CV and in answering interview questions. Some comments from students who attended:
‘It reminded me how good the year abroad was, and how many skills I actually picked up’.
‘It was really nice to hear other people’s experiences whilst gaining skills and tips for articulating these experiences’.
‘The interactiveness of the session made it interesting’.
‘Finding out about skills and attributes that I can now put on my CV which I hadn’t really recognised or thought of before’.
You can access the presentation and other documents from the workshop below:
- Returning from a Year Abroad: Employability Workshop Presentation (PDF)
- Action words to use in your CV (PDF)
Students earned Employability Points by attending the workshop. The Employability Points scheme offers students opportunities to engage in extra curricular activity and stand out to prospective employers in the process, rewarding students with internships at top employers such as Coca Cola enterprise.
Further information
The British Council, Future Learn and the University of Sheffield have teamed up to deliver a new online open course, free of charge, to aid those entering the workplace for the first time, to help them gain the skills needed to succeed.
The four week course help new starters build confidence, communicate effectively, work in a team and build intercultural awareness.
Talking Cultures
Talking Cultures refers to a series of training and consultancy activities devised by the Centre for English and World Languages.
It involves the development of intercultural awareness, enabling outbound Study Abroad students to reflect on the skills needed both before they depart and during their time abroad, and how they might subsequently reframe and reflect on those skills on their return.